Clack, Clack! Smack! A Cherokee Stickball Story

by Traci Sorell, Joseph Erb (Illustrator)

Overview

Vann, a struggling stickball player, competes in a game on the Cherokee Nation. Can he help his team win? Written by award-winning Cherokee author Traci Sorell.

Vann loves playing his tribe’s stickball game, but he’s not as skilled as his teammates. Vann stumbles, and he tries and fails to score. How can he help his teammates win? 

Exciting and fast-paced, Clack, Clack! Smack! reminds readers that sportsmanship and being a team player is just as important as being the star. Back matter explains the origins of Cherokee stickball.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781632899750
Publisher:	Charlesbridge
Publication date:	08/06/2024
Sold by:	Penguin Random House Publisher Services
Format:	eBook
Pages:	32
Age Range:	4 - 7 Years

About the Author

Traci Sorell writes fiction and nonfiction for children featuring contemporary characters and compelling biographies. She is the author of Powwow Day, We Are Still Here!, We Are Grateful: Otsaliheliga,  and coauthor of Mascot. She is an enrolled citizen of the Cherokee Nation and lives in northeastern Oklahoma, where her tribe is located.

Joseph Erb is a computer animator, film producer, educator, language technologist and artist enrolled in the Cherokee Nation. He earned his MFA degree from the University of Pennsylvania. Erb created the first Cherokee animation in the Cherokee language, “The Beginning They Told.” He has spent many years working on projects that will expand the use of Cherokee language in technology and the arts. He teaches at the University of California Santa Cruz. He has spent his life in the continued dedication to continue Indigenous stories and language. www.josepherb.com

Editorial Reviews

★ 07/08/2024

Teamwork makes the dream work in this stickball-centered picture book from Cherokee creators Sorell and Erb. Haunted by missing the final shot in the previous game, Cherokee player Vann also worries about his speed: “His towering body isn’t fast. Smaller teammates—like Vann’s best friend, Jesse—zip across the field.” In English and Tsalagi, the game progresses as the coach encourages the team to “work together—gadugi—an important Cherokee value.” Onomatopoeic text relays the “CLACK CLACK” of play while subtly outlining the sport, and bold-lined digital illustrations capture the fast-moving match alongside the ample community watching from the sidelines, making for a work that supplies a strong sense of camaraderie and competition—and allows for values to win the day. A Tsalagi glossary and notes about stickball and language conclude. Ages 4–7. (Aug.)

Publishers Weekly

♦ "Two Cherokee teams play a game of stickball in Tahlequah, Oklahoma.
Vann feels insecure about having missed a key shot in last week’s match. “Stickball requires speed,” after all, and his “towering body” won’t cooperate. As Vann and his team, the Eagles, take to the field against the Redhawks, they “zip,” “chase,” and “rush” for the ball, their wooden sticks clashing with a “CLACK, CLACK!” Coach gives the team a pep talk in Tsalagi, the Cherokee language. He reminds them of gadugi, the importance of working together. As the players return to the field to finish the game, Vann’s best friend, Jesse, gives him an encouraging smile. The game is now tied. Can Vann and his team win? Sorell and Erb, both members of the Cherokee Nation, deliver an uplifting story of team spirit and collaboration; the emphasis is on group triumphs rather than individual victories. Writing in terse, alliterative prose—“a tackle, a twist, and a wrong turn”—Sorell skillfully builds tension as she choreographs this action-packed game. Erb’s thick-lined cartoon illustrations have a pleasing solidity; they capture the chaos and drama of the game and depict players with a range of brown skin tones. The story features frequent Tsalagi words and phrases. Backmatter stresses the importance of keeping the Cherokee language alive and explains the significance of stickball, which traditionally was used to settle conflicts.
Stand and cheer for this fast-paced tale of sportsmanship and community."
—Kirkus Reviews, starred review

♦ Teamwork makes the dream work in this stickball-centered picture book from Cherokee creators Sorell and Erb. Haunted by missing the final shot in the previous game, Cherokee player Vann also worries about his speed: “His towering body isn’t fast. Smaller teammates—like Vann’s best friend, Jesse—zip across the field.” In English and Tsalagi, the game progresses as the coach encourages the team to “work together—gadugi—an important Cherokee value.” Onomatopoeic text relays the “CLACK CLACK” of play while subtly outlining the sport, and bold-lined digital illustrations capture the fast-moving match alongside the ample community watching from the sidelines, making for a work that supplies a strong sense of camaraderie and competition—and allows for values to win the day. A Tsalagi glossary and notes about stickball and language conclude.
—Publishers Weekly, starred review

From the Publisher

★ 2024-05-04
Two Cherokee teams play a game of stickball in Tahlequah, Oklahoma.

Vann feels insecure about having missed a key shot in last week’s match. “Stickball requires speed,” after all, and his “towering body” won’t cooperate. As Vann and his team, the Eagles, take to the field against the Redhawks, they “zip,” “chase,” and “rush” for the ball, their wooden sticks clashing with a “CLACK, CLACK!” Coach gives the team a pep talk in Tsalagi, the Cherokee language. He reminds them of gadugi, the importance of working together. As the players return to the field to finish the game, Vann’s best friend, Jesse, gives him an encouraging smile. The game is now tied. Can Vann and his team win? Sorell and Erb, both members of the Cherokee Nation, deliver an uplifting story of team spirit and collaboration; the emphasis is on group triumphs rather than individual victories. Writing in terse, alliterative prose—“a tackle, a twist, and a wrong turn”—Sorell skillfully builds tension as she choreographs this action-packed game. Erb’s thick-lined cartoon illustrations have a pleasing solidity; they capture the chaos and drama of the game and depict players with a range of brown skin tones. The story features frequent Tsalagi words and phrases. Backmatter stresses the importance of keeping the Cherokee language alive and explains the significance of stickball, which traditionally was used to settle conflicts.

Stand and cheer for this fast-paced tale of sportsmanship and community. (Tsalagi glossary, photographs) (Picture book. 4-8)

Kirkus Reviews